RUCKERSVILLE CITIZENS COUNCIL
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Minutes of February 3, 2009 Meeting
Discussion with Bart Svoboda, Planning Department Director.
1. B-1, B-2, and B-3 ordinances revisions currently underway.
a. Uses – Bart Svoboda commented that we’ve seen rezoning requests for B-3, with some uses proffered out, but have not been seeing requests for B-1 or B-2. The Planning Department is trying to group uses more appropriately. Citizen comments concerning the Deerfield rezoning (which abuts Deer Lake Estates and Willow Creek) and Midway (which abuts Enderly Acres) concerned mainly traffic, noise, and other items which relate to use rather than architectural issues.
b. Restrictions – Andrea Wilkinson pointed out that our ordinance provides separate regulations restricting businesses for B-1, B-2, and B-3 zones, and that the regulations may address harmonious blending with residential uses better than the uses themselves.
i. Frank Wilzcek commented that landscaping barriers and buffer areas are important to neighboring residential areas for noise abatement. Bart commented that our landscaping ordinance now requires landscape screens to be installed and maintained by commercial developments adjoining residential, agricultural and conservation property. The Planning Department now has a zoning official whose job includes ordinance enforcement. He mentioned that a noise “nuisance” ordinance is being considered, but these are pretty tricky – noise is metered at property lines – and it would have to be enforced by Police Department. Andrea commented that different noise levels for B-1, B-2, and B-3 might be appropriate, and asked if this could be handled better in the regulations for B-1, B-2, and B-3, that by a separate ordinance.
ii. Vicki Strauss comments that hours of operation and timing of traffic are a big concern to neighboring residential property owners. Bart said that these matters came up at Enderly Acres and Lake Saponi. Andrea asked if it is permissible under state law to provide different regulations for B-1, B-2, and B-3 for such matters, and asked if those regulations could specifically refer to V-DoT trips per day. Bart replied that it is permissible. John Silke, who is on the Tourism Council, commented that group wants Greene to be business friendly, and wondered if hotels and motels should require a special use permit (currently by-right in B-3) so county could steer another prospect to the most desired area for this type of development – Stanardsville is hoping for a hotel or resort. Bart said overlay districts, such as typically used for architectural review boards, can be used for this purpose. Greene is trying to keep the number of special use permit items to a minimum, as this requires additional staff, Commission, and Board of Supervisors time. Andrea commented that Enderly Acres residents felt that there was a big difference between hotels with interior hall room doors and exterior door motels in noise and security, and wondered if they should be grouped together or treated separately. Bart commented that security issues on exterior door motels are causing fewer of these to be built, and that one in Charlottesville is in the process of being enclosed currently. Andrea commented that this underlines the need to treat them differently in zoning regulations.
iii. Jack Hardgrove commented that all applications are for B-3, none for B-1, since B-3 gives the developer the most flexibility. But B-1 is supposed to be the transition between residential (or agricultural and conservation) property and commercial property. Bart said the ordinances are being worked on so developers might use B-1 and B-2, and not have to keep going B-3 with uses proffered out. Jack said B-2 and B-3 should state that they cannot abut residential (or agricultural and conservation) property at all. That would insure that we would get B-1 applications adjacent residential property, to get the appropriate transitions. Plus the current yard regulations are almost the same in B-1 (45’) as they are in B-2 and B-3 (50’), but if you permit B-2 and B-3 properties to abut residential (or agricultural and conservation) property at all, the yard regulation should be much larger. Andrea commented that a sufficiently large yard regulation would allow a developer for plan for a strip of B-1 between a B-2 or B-3 area and a residential area. Jack commented that our PUD regulations should take this into account as well. Bart commented that the knotty problems occur in “infill” areas. Jack said the regulations need to both protect homeowners in these areas, as well as provide appropriate regulations to address development throughout the county.
iv. Bart brought up the subject of building size regulations, which might be different for B-1, B-2, and B-3. Larry Miller commented that building height would certainly be an issue to him if he were an adjoining residential lot owner – three story building close to his lot line would be more daunting than a one or two story building. Group seemed to feel that several small buildings equaling 40,000 square feet, would be more comfortable near a residential property line, than one big one, although we never got to a hand vote on it.
2. Comp Plan update currently underway - tentative schedule (subject to change) below.
a. Next step – Planning Commission meeting on February 18th – results of last Workshop and redraft of Vision Statement
b. March – second session on multimodal transportation – public workshop to include results from November workshop with emphasis on transportation issues and relationship to land use – date and place? April – land use public workshop – tentative – no date or place yet established.
c. Implementation workshops and presentations – how to accomplish goals in plan and make plan work - May & June?
d. July – workshop / presentation - Board of Supervisors
e. Comments from group: Bart commented that development of parallel road network will assist us to use softer transitions between residential and commercial. The Future Growth Map is very important – right now it just shows 500’ deep on Rt 29 is “business”. Larry Miller said traffic related to B-1, B-2, B-3 has significant impact on residents. Jack Hardgrove commented that the current Future Land Use Map on the County’s website is not legible, and Bart commented that he is aware of it, but that it would cost $4,500 to fix it. Jack said he really couldn’t read where the Future Growth Area stops and starts on the Comp Plan Workshop materials and asked Bart to explain, but Bart said it would be pretty hard to describe verbally. Jack asked if GIS system shows current zoning, and Bart replied that it does, and that it might show future growth designation as well. Bart commented that the county is now having a twice monthly meeting with V-DoT. Larry Miller commented that the first builder in often gets to set the standard, so it is important that we make sure that is a good standard, in order to market the community to future businesses and residential buyers. Bart commented that the “moonscape” at Rapidan Center is a marketing concern.
3. Revisions of existing ordinances:
a. Lighting
b. Signs
c. SR & PUD setbacks & height
d. Expiration of zoning applications – Bart explained that indefinite deferrals are currently allowed, but Planning Department would like a time limit on these.
e. Setbacks for nonconforming accessory uses
f. Criminal versus civil penalties
g. Possible supplemental regulations
4. Other Planning Department priorities:
a. Non-conforming uses possible revision
b. Private road standards, with goal to add to County infrastructure despite fact that roads are not state maintained – Bart explained that current standard is 18’ wide, 4” gravel base. Planning Department would like to add some upgrades, possibly linked to number of lots 0-5, 6-10, 10-20.
c. Provide standard guidelines for submittal of proffers – Bart explained that this would be a list of procedural suggestions.
d. Stream Buffer ordinance
5. Revisions to Ruckersville Citizens Council Procedural Statement for 2009, or re-adoption – correction will be made to note officer slate selected at first meeting of year, rather than January, as we usually take January off for New Year’s.
6. Officer slate for 2009 – Larry Miller has volunteered to take over for Nicole Strickland as Contact List Coordinator. Other volunteers are sought to take over positions as Promotion Coordinator and Secretary. Officer slate as of now: Chair – Andrea Wilkinson; Vice Chair – Aaron Gilbert, Promotion – Jenny Dietzel, Projects Coordinator – Frank Wilzcek (Project for 2008 was Comp Plan participation, continues for 2009), Contact List – Larry Miller, Secretary – Andrea Wilkinson.
7. New business from group
a. Heather Dow brought up limitations on broad band access in the county. Several other members also spoke up on this issue Vicki Strauss pointed out progress being made in Madison and Floyd Wilkinson commented Orange is in process of financing this infrastructure. (Editor’s note: This came up at the last Comp Plan workshop as important to seeking business development in Stanardsville and improvement to county administration capability. Apparently DSL is currently being extended in the county by Embarq, but question is if this is sufficient to support business, and where it will be available, on what time schedule.) It was suggested that we schedule in a speaker from a provider, and try to get a map of current broad band status in the county, plus plans for increasing availability.
Next meeting Tuesday, March 4th - Piedmont Environment Council representatives Jenny Dietzel, Melissa Wiley to discuss the Buy Fresh, Buy Local campaign in Greene, and Tiffney Parker, the Information Technology Specialist for PEC, to discuss the new “Greene County Development Tracker”.